Helmolt



1 z'sheets-sheet 2. J. L. HELMOLT. PROPULSION 0F VESSBLS.`

(No Model.)

No. 577,750'. Panama 151819.23. 1897.

NitsN Starts TENT Ormes.,

JoHN L. nnLMoLT, on NEw YORK, N. Y.

PRoPULsloN oF vEssELs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,750, dated February 23, 189'?. Application inea me 2,1896. stiamo. 593,982. (No man.)

cated near the stern and near the stem of the vessel at each side, each set of paddles being adapted to move to and from the other set, the forward set of paddles having bearing upon the water on their rearward stroke, and

the rear set of paddles, which move simulta-` neously forward, fit at that time close against the sides of the vessel. Upon the return movement of the two sets of paddles the forward set will return folded and the rear set in operative position, or at van angle to the sides of the vessel. Thus the forward and the rear sets of propelling-'blades operate alternately to propel the vessel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for reversing the action of the paddles, so that the vessel may be carried stern foremost. y

Another object of the invention is to construct propelling mechanisms equally balanced upon each side of the vessels hull, so spaced that the vessel may be turned practically upon its center.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in; all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vessels hull, illustrating the application of the invention to the same. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the hull on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, showing the propelling mechanism in plan View. Fig. Sis a diagrammatic view '1 illustrating the paddles at their outward stroke and a means for controlling the movement of the said paddles. Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the paddles at section taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, the top plate of theV frame of the locking mechanism for the paddles being removed and the paddles being shown in two positions.

Fig: 6 is an enlarged plan view of the lock- `ing device for one of 'the paddles. Fig. 7 is' a section taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Figs. S and 9 are plan views of the shifting shaft, illustrating the locking mechanism as acted upon, first, to lock a paddle, and, secondly, as withdrawn from locking engagement.therewith;` and Fig. 10 is a sectional view through the shifting shaft, illustrating its construction, whereby the operation of the paddles may be reversed when desired. 7

In carrying out the invention the vessels hull A is provided, well below the water-line at each side near the bow and near the stern,

with two horizontal and parallel openings 10 l .and 11, corresponding openings on opposite sides of the vessels hull being in transversev alinement.

Within the hull of the vessel, back of each set of openings 10 and 11, a plate 12 is held to slide in suitable ways 13, the plates being so packed in their ways or the ways being so constructed as to efectually prevent any Water entering the hull through the aforesaid Each plate is provided openings 10 and 11. with ribs 111 upon its outer face, and the ribs are fitted to slide in the openings 10 and 11 in the hull, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 7. Each rib of each plate is provided with open.- ings extending through from the inside of the plate, and the openings are at each side of the center of the ribs; and between the openings 15 in the rib of each sliding plate 12 a blade or a paddle is hinged to the outer faces of the said ribs, the said paddles or blades being of a tin-like construction.. Fingers 16 are held to slide in the openings 15 in the sliding plates 12, and therefore these fingers, when projected outward, will be at each side of a fin or blade B, as shown in Figs. `6

and 7, and will hold the fin or blade at a right angle to the side of the vessels hull.

Each vertically-alining set of fingers 16 is secured to an upright `post 17, and the posts belonging to the ingers of each plate are connected near the top and near the bottom by the inner limit of their stroke. Fig. 5 is a l1 a cross-bar 18, and each cross-bar is provided IOO . with an inwardly-extending horizontal arm 19, as particularly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the arms 19 being connected by a vertical post 20. The posts 17 connect directly with the locking arms or fingers 16, extending through slots 2l, made vertically in upper and lower plates 22, secured to the upper and lower portions of the sliding plates 12, and the upper and lower plates 22 are connected at the rear by a preferably centrally-located post 23. These upper and lower plates 22 form housings for two sets of links 24 and 25. These links are pivotallyconnected, and the innermost link is attached to the post'23,

which rotates in the plates 22, while the outervmost link 25. of each set is pivotally connected with the post 20, connecting the extensions 19 from the links orcross-bars uniting the finger-posts 17 ,1 and at the lower'end of the reartrotary post-shaft 23 of each housing a button 26 is.4 `firmly secured, which extends preferably beyond opposite ends of the aforesaid shaft 23.

A The sliding plates 12, carrying the blades or Vfins B, may be operated from any suitable source of power. In the drawings a rockshaft 27 i-s shown as journaled amidships, being provided with a central crank-arm 28,

connected by a. link 29 and a pitman withv the' pistonrod 30., the head whereof has move-A ment in a cylinder 31, supplied with steam, A crank-arm 32 is vsecured to .each end of the rock-shaft 27,andk

A theV extremities of the crankarms 32are attached by means of connectin-g-bars 33 tol the compressed air, or water.

inner endportions of the paddle slides yor plates12, asshown in Fig. 2.

Beneath thenhousings containing the locking links and lingers for the paddles a shifting shaft 34 is journaled longitudinallyvin ,Suitablebearings within the hull, oneof the saidshafts being neareach side; 'and each shaft nearlthe end of each set of openings 10 and'll in the hull is provided with two prefi erably angular arms 35 (shown best in Fig. l0) andlocated so that one arm will extend below and the other yarm above the shaft; and the uppermost arm at each end of a set `of openings is adapted to engage an end portionfof a-fbutton 26,carried by one of the plates 12 and operating the links connected with its locking-fingers.

In operation, the rock-shaft 27 being set in .motion the slides will be simultaneouslyforced apart ateach side of the vessel .and then simultaneously drawn together. When the slides .are forced outward, as shown in Fig. 3

and in positive lines in Fig. 5, the stern pad.- vdles will have been held at an angle to the vessels sides andthe bow paddles will have been folded parallel therewith, thereby forcing the vessel ahead from the stern, and when the bowpaddles in their-folded position reach i the forward ends Aof the openings 10 and 11 the button 26 on the carriage attached. to the .slides of these paddles will have so contacted with one of the upwardly-proj ectin g trip-arms 35 of the shifting shaft 34 as to give thebutton a diagonal position, (shown in positive lines in Fig. 5 at' the right-hand side ofthe said iigure,) thereby straightening the links 24 and 25'and forcing the fingers 16 outward at each side of the bow paddles, holding them at rightanglestoy the sides of the Vessel, while the stern paddles when their carriages reach the rear, ends of the stern openings 10 and 11 will be closed or folded parallel with and against the outer face of the vessel, as shown also in positive lines in Fig. 5, the folding action taking place by reasonof the buttons 26 Von these stern carriages being brought at an angle to a center line drawn through the carriages by an engagement with the projecting trip-arms 35 on the shifting shaft 34, located opposite the rear ends of'theiaforesaid stern openings, and this shifted position'of the `buttons will cause the links-to-be drawn inward and at an angle to'one another, carrying the locking-fingers 161of the stern paddles inward withl them, andthe pressure of the water will then yforce the paddlesagai-nst the sides of the vessel. Upon the-inward Stroke of the bow and stern sliding'plates the bow blades orv paddles will perform-the work, returning inwardv at an angle to the vessels hull, while the -sternblades o rpaddles willl return inward in their folded condition', and whenthe inner ends of y.theslides are reached the forward paddles will beffolded in the same manner as Vjust described with reference tothe rear paddles, while the rear paddles will be opened to return in'thatposition and perform the workof propulsion, as

. shown in dotted lines in Fig.y 5.

When it is desired,l tobackthelvesseh itis simply necessary to give the shifting shaft 34 IOO a quarter-turn, bringing the lowershifting I arms 35 (shown in Fig. l0) upwardandcan rying those normally employed downward, so that the withdrawal of the lockingdevices for the blades will take place in the reverseorder to that heretoforedescribed.

By means of a propelling mechanism of this description the'vessel may-be quickly turned almost as upon a pivot and considerablepower is obtained, acting constantly to forcelthe'vessel in any 'desired direction;

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to securebyfflietters Patent-- 1. In the propulsion of vessels, a-hullfand ypaddles located `at the sides of the hnll,.-ca

pable of lateral movementy'the saidpaddles having a hinged connection with a sliding support, locking devices-adapted -toengage the sides ofthe paddles to holdthe-same'at mechanism connected with the locking devices, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the hull'of avessel, hinged stern and bowv paddles having sliding movement in the Vhull -ateach side, a driving mechanism for the paddles, moving the paddles on opposite sides alternately in IIO an angle to the Vessels side,` and ashifting swr/5o e direction of and away from one another, and automatic locking devices engaging alternately the sides of the stern and the bow paddles to hold the same at anangle to the vessels sides, as and for the purpose speciiied.

3. In the propulsion of vessels, the combination, with a hull having longitudinal openings made in its sides near the bow and near the stern, plates having sliding movement in the said openings, paddles having hinged connection with the said plates and located at the outside portion of the vessels hull, a motor, and a driving connection between the motor and all of the said slides, operating each set of slides at each side simultaneously, opposite slides on the same side of the vessels hull moving alternately toward and away from each other, a carriage connected with each slide, lookin g devices located in the carriage and adapted to hold the paddles at an angle to the sides of the vessel, and a mechanism, substantially as described, for releasing the paddles from the aforesaid locking devices, as and for the purpose set forth.

1. In the propulsion of vesselsVthe combination, with a hull having longitudinal openings made in its sides near the bow and near the stern, plates having sliding movement in the said openings, paddles having hinged connection with the said plates and located at the outside portion of the vessels hull, a motor, and a driving connection between the motor and all of the said slides, operating each set of slides at each side simultaneously, opposite slides on the same side of the vessels hull moving alternately toward and away from each other, of a carriage connected with each slide, locking devices located in the carriage and adapted to hold the paddles at an angle to the sides of the vessel, a shifting shaft, trip-arms carried by the said shifting shaft, links connected with the locking devices of a carriage, a shaft adapted to operate the said links, and a trip connection be-` tweenthe shaft and the aforesaid trip-arms, as and for the lpurpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a vessels hull, of paddles having a hinged connection with supports held to slide upon the said hull, means for simultaneously moving the said sliding supports toward and away from each other at each side of the vessel, locking devices arranged to hold the paddles at an angle to the vessel, and means for withdrawing the said locking devices from engagement with the said paddles, and releasing devices operating simultaneously to lock sundry of the paddles and release others, as and for the .purpose set forth.

stern at each side, and means, substantially as described, for simultaneously imparting movement to all of the sliding plates, of a carriage connected with each plate, lockingfingers located in each carriage and arranged to extend outward therefrom, a blade or paddle having a hinged connection with the outer portion of each sliding plate and located between the locking-fingers of the plate, a withdrawing device located in each carriage and connected with the said locking-ingers, a shifting shaft operating the releasing devices, and trips located at the forward and rear portions of the slots in the hull, and arranged to operate the releasing mechanism in a manner to force the fingers to a locking engagement with the paddles, or to Withdraw the said fingers from such locking engagement, as and for the purpose set forth. Y

J Ol-IN L. I-IELMOLT. Witnesses:

E. KoHNsTAMM, FRANK A. ZELLER. 

